The Northern Gateway project moved a step further last week when it emerged the first planning applications for hundreds of new homes in Collyhurst are to be submitted.
The landmark regeneration scheme is arguably the most important housing development in Manchester with the potential to transform some of the most neglected parts of the city.
A report heard by the council's executive detailed progress so far, including how £51.6million of funding secured from the government will be put to use.
Officials say it will be key to unlocking development land - in particular 10.2 hectares formerly owned by Network Rail at Red Bank.
It will also go towards land remediation works, developing new road access, new footpaths and cycleways, along with necessary utility investments to bring power onto development sites and strengthen existing water and drainage networks, the council added.
Over the two decades, it is hoped the Northern Gateway project will see around 15,000 new homes delivered as part of a joint venture between Manchester City Council and FEC (Far East Consortium).
New schools, healthcare facilities and transport links are promised for the area heading north out of town along the valley of the River Irk.
The area being looked at is huge, 155 hectares in total, starting at the edge of the city centre and stretching nearly two miles to Queens Park, with Cheetham Hill and Strangeways on one side and Miles Platting and Monsall on the other.
It is mainly characterised by brownfield, urban countryside and underused sites that point to the area's place in Manchester's industrial heritage.
But bang in the middle is one of Manchester's oldest neighbourhoods, Collyhurst.
Redevelopment plans for Collyhurst have been promised and never delivered many times over the years, and some local residents remain sceptical of the latest plans and fearful that it will see their communities wiped from the map.
The council and its developer partner FEC have been keen to emphasise that this will not be the case.
They say the existing population will not only be catered for, but that their views will be at the heart of what comes next.
With a high proportion of residents living in social housing, the promise to deliver 20 per cent affordable homes will be crucial test of that pledge.
So far, the first phase of planning includes up to 300 homes in Collyhurst Village and Collyhurst South, of which 130 will be for social rent, along with new commercial premises and the first phase of the new Collyhurst Village Park, the council says.
Planning consent has also been granted for 80 new homes on Addington Street and a planning application for the former Angelgate at Dantzic Street (now called Victoria Riverside) has been submitted for 634 apartments.
The overarching Northern Gateway proposal envisions seven neighbourhoods, some new and some existing.
Here is the proposal for what each will be called and what has been said about each so far by the project:
Red Bank
"Red Bank’s unique landscape and river setting make the neighbourhood perfect for a residential-led, high-density development – all set in a green valley.
"We’re planning apartments, townhouses and other options for family living to help build a lively, diverse neighbourhood.
"Key to the personality of the area, the Red Bank Viaduct will continue to offer a home to retail businesses, while forming part of a recreational public space."
New Town
"Few people live in New Town right now, so we’ll be building a range of high-quality housing to support Manchester’s growing population.
"Hidden among its disused land, former Gould Street gasworks and surface car parking, New Town holds gems from a golden age – including the Bromley Street railway arches and the stunning Marble Arch Inn.
"We’ll be working to preserve these, developing a lively community, connected to the City and the wider development project along the Irk river valley."
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Eggington Street and Smedley Dip
"We hope to support and enhance the family-friendly feel of Eggington Street and Smedley Dip.
"Alongside its schools, churches and transport links, more than any other the neighbourhood benefits from long views over the Irk Valley’s vast areas of green space.
"These will be made more accessible through landscaped public spaces – and through improved pedestrian and cycle connectivity."
Vauxhall Gardens
"At the heart of the wider project, work in Vauxhall Gardens will bring new housing, open spaces and a brand new transport hub.
"We’ll work with the unique topography of the area and familiar residential towers to create an interesting and diverse neighbourhood.
"A range of open spaces will play a fundamental role in delivering Manchester’s new River City Park along the valley corridor.
"Taken together, they will extend the urban character of Red Bank and New Town towards the centre of the wider project."
South Collyhurst
"Development in South Collyhurst will take the form of residential-led, family-focused neighbourhoods.
"We’ll be providing a variety of housing types and tenures to encourage diversity, along with a mix of social and community infrastructure that supports a family lifestyle in close proximity to the city centre."
Collyhurst Village
" Collyhurst Village is defined by a distinctive sense of place. Our aim for the project is to blend high-quality housing development with the existing family-focused community.
"The result will be a mix of housing options and infrastructure which support the community’s heart.
"We will make the most of opportunities to improve connections to the city centre and other neighbourhoods.
"Alongside transport links will be a range of new places for everyone to use – including a New Collyhurst Park, which will link Collyhurst Village to the new River City Park."
New Cross
"On the edge of the centre, New Cross marks the point where the development touches the CIty.
"Our plan is to create a network of green links from Angel Meadow through New Town and into New Cross, running across Rochdale Road.
"These will provide alternative pedestrian routes and create variety of new, open spaces. A series of smaller parks will offer attractive, sheltered green spaces for new residents.
"Add to this a swathe of new residential buildings, and we start to see how New Cross is essential to the urbanisation of Rochdale Road."
What the council says:
Coun Suzanne Richards, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “This part of Manchester has remained untouched for some time because it requires major investment to install the necessary utilities, a transport network, and the significant land remediation that will allow us to bring forward home building at a scale not seen in this country for decades.
“Planning applications are beginning to arrive for the first elements of the project and we are looking ahead to an application for the new homes for Collyhurst in the next few months - including social and affordable homes. It’s thrilling to see this project lift off.
“In the meantime, we will continue to listen to residents’ views about the plans for their neighbourhoods to ensure the needs of current and future residents help shape this regeneration project as it moves forward.”
